Cartons



April 16, 1963 D. e. KAUFFELD cARToNs Filed May 17, 1961 INVENTOR. DON B. KAUFFELD #muu/ A ORNE YS United States Patent Oce 3,985,734 Patented Apr. 16, 1963 3,085,734 CARTONS Don B. Kauield, Lexington, Ky., assignor to Foils Packaging Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 17, 1961, Ser. No. 110,818 Claims. (Cl. 229-23) This invention relates to the structure of paperboard blanks and to containers to be made from said blanks, and more particularly relates to an improved container and end closure structure.

It is an important object of this invention to provide an improved container structure which is leakproof, and especially t-o provide an improved end structure which is made from blanks having plastic-coated surfaces suitable for the Iapplication of heat-sealing techniques wherein the plastic surfaces are welded as distinguished from glued, although the present structure can be glued, if desired, or assembled by using any other adhesive.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an improved end closure structure for a container which can then be made from laminated blanks having a liquidabsorbent core, the structure of the container being such that all of the cut edges of the blank face outwardly of the finished container or are otherwise protected to prevent wetting of the core by the contents of the container, known in the art as wicking.

It is another Very important object of the invention to provide an inexpensive and easily set-up container and end closure which is especially adapted for packaging moist or liquid food products, the container being designed to meet the requirements of government food packaging regulations. However, the present container is also suitable for the packaging o-f other products such as oils, jellies, Syrups, acids, alkalies, detergents, bleaches and other solid or liquid products whether hot, cold, or frozen.

Still another major object of the invention is to provide a novel container having heat-sealed seam closures adapted especially for use in packaging frozen foods, such as ice cream, wherein the sealing of the carton after filling with a perishable frozen food is accomplished externally of the carton at p-ositions relatively remote Ifrom the contents thereof so as to avoid melting down of said contents during sealing.

Another very important object associated with the previously mentioned object is to reduce to Va minimum the transfer of heat into the contents of the carton during sealing thereof by employing flayers of metal lfoil laminated to the surfaces of the blanks of which the container is made, said metal foil conducting the heat away from the vicinity of heat application so that it may be quickly dissipated instead of remaining in the area of the seal to penetrate the container and cause localized melt-down.

It is a further object of the invention to simultaneously provide in the same end structure an external ange-type heat seal designed to keep the heat remote from the container con-tents and also to provide seam structures wherein the cut edges of the blanks are concealed `and protected from moisture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel end structure which is especially strong so as to prevent distortion of the container or damage thereto as a result of dropping, and which end structure is especially well reinforced in the corners which are doublesealed against leakage.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a container having a tear-open flap and having novel retaining means for use when reclosing said flap a plurality of times `after the initial opening thereof and during subsequent use of the contents of the container.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent during the following discussion of the drawing wherein:

FIG. l is a plan View of a blank suitable for making the body portion of a container according to the present invention, cut-lines being shown in this gure as solid lines, and embossed bend lines being shown as dashed lines;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of Van end blank for a container according to the present invention, the dashed lines indicating embossed bend lines;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a finished container employing one body blank as shown in FIG. 1 and two end blanks as shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a container similar to that of FIG. 3 but showing one side of the container opened for access to its contents;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section view taken along line 5 5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view corresponding with the lower righthand corner of the container shown in FIG. 3, illustrating the body blank of FIG. 1 set up to form a hollow body and illustrating an end blank according to FIG. 2 set in place but prior to final folding and sealing;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the edge of the body blank folded partway toward its final position;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective View similar to FIG. 7 but showing the end aps bent int-o nal position and overlying the flanges of the end blank;

FIG. 8A is a further enlarged sectional view taken along line SA-SA of FIG. 8;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing one `form of laminated material from which the blanks and the container shown in the other iigures may be made; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional View showing a modified form of laminated material also suitable for use in making the blanks and containers of the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. l, the body blank 1 comprises four main body panels 21, 31, 41 and '51, the lower panel being divided Iinto two sections 51a and 51b by a transverse line of perforations 51C, the purpose of this line being hereinafter set forth. The main body panels 21, 31, 41 and 51 have their longitudinal edges defined by crease lines 32, 42, 52 and y62, the latter crease line separating aps 61a and 6111 from the main panel sections 51a and 51b, respectively.

Alon-g the sides of the body blank 1 are located a plurality of end naps 23-24, 33-34, 43--44 and l5Fl-54 attached respectively to the main panels 21, 31, 41 and 51 at transverse crease lines 25--26, .3S-36, 45-46 and 55-56. Each of the end flaps mentioned above is provided with diagonal crease lines which extend across each iiap, substantially intersecting the adjacent transverse crease line, each of these diagonal crease lines being either parallel with the nearest longitudinal bend line or else inclined `at an angle thereto as shown, for instance, in FIGS. l, `6 rand 7. Each adjacent pair of diagonal crease lines defines a corner-sealing tab, the tabs being numbered 27-28, 37-38, 47-48 and 57-58. For instance, the t-ab 58, as shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, is separated from the end flaps 34 and 44 .by diagonal crease lines 34a and 44a, as best illustrated in FIG. 6. The function of these tabs will be defined more fully hereinafter.

Referring now to FIG. 2, this figure shows one of the end blanks of which two are required to complete a fully enclosed container. The end blank shown in FIG. 2 is referred to generally by the reference character 2, and

further includes four end flaps 3, 4, and 6 all of which are mutually joined with the main panel of the end blank by embossed crease lines labeled 7, 8, 9 and 10. Note that the corners of the end blank are provided with a further diagonal crease line, respectively labeled 3a, 4a, 5a and 6a, which permits the corner tab to be folded inwardly as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and then flat against one of the adjacent flanges.

Referring further to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, it will be seen that each end panel 2 is inserted inside the hollow polygonal body `formed by the blank 1 when set up, the end blanks being oriented so that their flanges, such as the flanges 4 and 5 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 face outwardly of the finished container and so that the outermost cut edges of these flanges 3, 4, S and 6 are aligned with the transverse crease lines 56, 46, 36 and 26, respectively. In particular in FIGS. 6 and 7, the outermost edges of the flanges 4 and 5 lie along the crease lines 36 and 46 of the body blank 1.

When the end blanks are set in place as shown in FIG. 6, their flanges 3, 4, 5 and 6 fold outwardly, but their corner tabs fold around the respective diagonal crease lines 3a, 4a, 5a and 6a to form triangular corner webs which are then bent flat against one of the adjacent flanges. For instance, in FIGS. 6 and 8A the triangular web 4b, formed by folding the corners around the diagonal crease line 4a, is bent to lie flat against the flange 4. Then the corner tab 38 and the other three corner tabs 28, 48 and 58 are all simultaneously pushed inwardly as shown in FIG. 7 to lbend the tabs around the diagonal crease lines, 34a and 44a in FIG. 7, which in turn begins to pull the end flaps 34 and 44 inwardly toward the anges 4 and 5. These tabs reach the corners first before the end flaps are bent fully inwardly to overlie the flanges.

Finally, the main end flaps 24, 34, 44 and 54 of the body blank 1 are folded inwardly to overlie the flanges as shown in FIG. 8 wherein the flap 34 is folded inwardly to overlie the end flange 4, the tab 38 also abutting this end flange, and the flap 44 is folded inwardly 'to overlie the flange 5. Also note that the cut edges of the body 4blank 1 along the longer edges of the end flaps .S4-44, etc. now abut against the flat panel surface of the end blank 2 and are protected thereby.

When all of the end aps have lbeen folded inwardly and overlie the flanges, the peripheral external edges of the container end are then subjected to heat and pressure so as to seal `all of the flaps, flanges and tabs together and form a final bond therebetween.

When the assembly has progressed to the stage shown in FIG. 6, the flanges of the end panels may be sealed to the main panels as a preliminary step in order to hold the end -panels in place, but this is not necessary at this stage of the assembly. If desired, the panels may be held in place by some other means, such as an internally applied mandrel, while the end flaps are folded inwardly prior to final heat sealing of the entire end assembly.

Also, as stated in the objects of this invention, the joints need not necessarily be heat-sealed joints, but may be held together by other adhesive means if desired.

In addition, the main longitudinal seam which forms the hollow polygonal body by joining the panel 21 near edge 22 to the flaps 61a and 61h, prior to insertion of `the end panels, can be sealed at any stage in the proceedings. On a practical basis, however, it is probably desirable that this longitudinal seam be sealed prior to sealing of the end panels. With particular reference `to FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, it will be seen that the body blank 1 is set up by overlapping the flaps 61a .and 61b over the panel 21 with the edge 22 abutting the underside of the panel 51. Sealing is preferably confined to the zone near the edge 22 and above the transverse embossed crease line 63 across the flaps. This crease line is provided to permit the lower edge `of the flaps 61a and 61b to bend outwardly so that the consumer can get a grip on the flap to tear it open by breaking the seal above this crease line, the seal zone being shown by a crosshatched area S in FIG. 4.

This structure also includes means whereby the container need not be opened on both sides simultaneously, but instead the panel 51b can remain closed while the panel 51a is opened, or vice versa, as shown in FIG. 4. A transverse line of perfor-ations 51C provides a weakened junction between the panels 51a and 51!) along which the container m-ay be torn open as shown in FIG. 4. For instance, if two flavors of ice cream are packaged in the present container, either flavor can be used, without necessity of opening the entire container and exposing the other flavor, simply by tearing up one of the closure flaps 61a or 61b to break its seals along panel 21 and then tearing the panel 51 of the container directly in half along the transverse line of perforations 51C. The crease lines 55 and 56, FIG. 1, are also perforated but the course of these perforations departs from these crease lines at 55a and 56a and extends down onto the flaps 61a and 61b along offset lines of perforations 65 and 66. Thus, when the panel 51a is torn open by breaking the seal S and tearing the perforations 51e, 55a and 65, one side of the container is opened and the other side comprising the panel Slb and the flap 61b remains undisturbed.

It is a further feature of the present container structure that retaining means is provided to permit reclosure of the opened panel. Each of the flaps 61a and 6lb is provided with an arcuate cut 63a and 63h which defines a locking tab abutting the crease line 63. When a person grasps the portion of the flange below the crease line 63 and bends it outwardly during tearing open of the closure flap, the locking tab is automatically bent inwardly as shown in FIG. 5. The panel 21 adjacent these locking tabs is provided with slits 29a and 29b to receive the locking tabs when the flaps are reclosed, as also shown in FIG. 5.

Referring now to FIG. 9, this figure shows on an enlarged scale a laminated material suitable for making the present blanks and containers. This laminate comprises a core of virgin kraft K coated on both sides with a plastic. rThis plastic should be a heat sealable material such as polyethylene P, at least on the inner surface of the container, and for the sake of appearance, the outer snrface of the container should also be coated with a plastic material which may also be polyethylene, or which may alternatively comprise some other coating such as vinyl V, it merely being necessary that the outer coating V will bond to the polyethylene P of the inner coating when heat is applied thereto so that the carton may be heat sealed by the above mentioned steps which closely resemble welding.

FIG. 10 is similar to FIG. 9 except that a metal foil F is interposed between the outer plastic coating V and the inner core K for the sake of dissipating heat from the vicinity of an area being heat-sealed so as to prevent the heat in that area from reaching the contents of the container with such intensity that the contents are melted down and therefore damaged. This foil F can be laminated -to the kraft core K by an suitable adhesive, such as a water-base latex, the method of attachment of foil to a kraft core being known per se in the prior art. This disclosure is not to be limited, however, to any particular adhesive, and as stated above it is only necessary that at least one of the plastics be a weldable type which can be sealed at a temperature low enough that the kraft K will not be damaged by the heat applied.

It is also contemplated that the laminate may have other cores than the kraft core referred to above.

Although the cross-sectional shape of the container illustrated in the drawing is rectangular, it is to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to this shape,

but may be triangular, square, hexagonal, or any other polygonal shape as may be desired.

I claim:

1. A container comprising a body blank having body panels folded along longitudinal bend lines and joined along a longitudinal seam to form a hollow polygonal body and having at least one end closed by an end blank including an end panel and a plurality of end llanges bent at right angles to the end panel and fitted into the hollow body with the flanges facing outwardly thereof, each end of the container which is closed by one of said end blanks having end flaps integral with the body blank and joining the body panels at transverse crease lines parallel with the outer edges of said end flanges, the end flaps being integrally joined together at extensions of the longitudinal bend lines and having diagonal crease lines near each longitudinal bend line extension but mutually spaced on opposite sides thereof to define a tab in each corner attached to the body panels and to the end ilaps along the adjacent crease lines, each tab and the adjoining end flaps being folded inwardly to overlie the flanges of the end blank meeting in the associated corner and being sealed thereto to form a continuous peripheral closure around the end of the container.

2. In a container as set forth in claim 1, said blanks each having at least one surface made of a heat-fusible plastic material having a melting point below the ternperature at which the other materials in the blank would be damaged.

3. In a container as set forth in claim 1, said blanks comprising paperboard cores coated with heat-fusible plastic material, and at least one side of the blank including a metal foil laminated to the core beneath said plastic coating, whereby when the container seams are heat-sealed together the metal foil will quickly dissipate the heat from the area to which it is applied.

4. In a container as set forth in claim 1, one of said body panels having a longitudinal flap along said longitudinal seam where the panels are joined to form said hollow body, the llap on said one panel being disposed to partly overlie the surface of the adjacent body panel and being sealed thereto and having a pull-up tab across its outer edge and unsealed to the panel to facilitate opening of the container, said one panel having lines of perforations extending transversely thereacross and dividing the panel and the flaps to facilitate tearing open of the container after a longitudinal llap has been pulled from said adjacent body panel to which it was sealed.

5. In a container as set forth in claim 1, each end blank having a web in each corner between the ends of the flanges and having a diagonal crease line extending outwardly on the web from the common corner of the flanges and the end panel, each web being folded double about its diagonal crease line and bent to lie substantially flat against one of the adjacent flanges, the webs being covered by the corners of said end flaps.

6. A container comprising a body blank having body panels folded along longitudinal bend lines and joined along a longitudinal seam to form a hollow polygonal body and having its ends closed by end blanks each including an errd panel having a plurality of end flanges bent at right angles to the end panel and lltted into the hollow body with the llanges facing outwardly thereof, each end of the container having end fflaps integrally connected with each other along extensions of the longitudinal bend lines and integrally joining the body panels at transverse crease lines parallel with the outer edges of said end flanges, the end flaps having divergent diagonal crease lines at their corners permitting the corners to be folded inwardly to overlie the corners of the flanges of the end blank, and the end flaps between their diagonal crease lines subsequently being folded inwardly to substantially cover the flanges between the corners and being sealed to the llanges.

7. In a container as set forth in claim 6, said blanks each having at least one surface made of a heat-fusible plastic material having a melting point below the temperature at which the other materials in the blank would be damaged.

8. In a container as set forth in claim 6, said blanks comprising paperboard cores coated with heat-fusible plastic material, and at least one side of the blank including a metal foil laminated to the core beneath said plastic coating, whereby when the container seams are heat-sealed together the metal foil will quickly dissipate the heat from the area to which it is applied.

9. In a container as set forth in `claim 6, one of said body panels having a longitudinal ilap along said longitudinal seam Where the panels are joined to form said hollow body, the flap on said one panel being disposed to partly overlie the surface of the adjacent body panel and being sealed thereto and having a pull-up tab across its outer edge and unsealed to the panel to facilitate opening of the container, said one panel having lines of perforations extending transversely thereacross and dividing the panel and the flap to facilitate tearing open of the container after a longitudinal llap has been pulled from said adjacent body panel to which it was sealed.

10. In a container as set forth in claim 6, each end blank having a web in each corner between the ends of the flanges and having a diagonal crease line extending outwardly on the web from the common corner of the llanges and the end panel, each iWeb being folded double about its diagonal crease line and bent to lie substantially at against one of the adjacent llanges, the Webs being covered by the corners of said end flaps.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,014,335 Kilmer Sept. 10, 1935 2,122,480 Lowey July 5, 1938 2,665,616 Iungmayr Ian. l2, 1954 2,689,643 Willits Sept. 21, 1954 2,751,136 Moore June 19, 1956 2,970,735 Jacke Feb. 7, 1961 2,970,736 Baughan Feb. 7, 1961 2,973,086 Thompson Feb. 28, 1961 2,994,465 Kauffeld Aug. 1, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 515,282. Great Britain iNov. 30, 1939 741,520 Germany Nov. 12, 1943 

1. A CONTAINER COMPRISING A BODY BLANK HAVING BODY PANELS FOLDED ALONG LONGITUDINAL BEND LINES AND JOINED ALONG A LONGITUDINAL SEAM TO FORM A HOLLOW POLYGONAL BODY AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE END CLOSED BY AN END BLANK INCLUDING AN END PANEL AND A PLURALITY OF END FLANGES BENT AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE END PANEL AND FITTED INTO THE HOLLOW BODY WITH THE FLANGES FACING OUTWARDLY THEREOF, EACH END OF THE CONTAINER WHICH IS CLOSED BY ONE OF SAID END BLANKS HAVING END FLAPS INTEGRAL WITH THE BODY BLANK AND JOINING THE BODY PANELS AT TRANSVERSE CREASE LINES PARALLEL WITH THE OUTER EDGES OF SAID END FLANGES, THE END FLAPS BEING INTEGRALLY JOINED TOGETHER AT EXTENSIONS OF THE LONGITUDINAL BEND LINES AND HAVING DIAGONAL CREASE LINES NEAR EACH LONGITUDINAL BEND LINE EXTENSION BUT MUTUALLY SPACED ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF TO DEFINE A TAB IN EACH CORNER ATTACHED TO THE BODY PANELS AND TO THE END FLAPS ALONG THE ADJACENT CREASE LINES, EACH TAB AND THE ADJOINING END FLAPS BEING FOLDED INWARDLY TO OVERLIE THE FLANGES OF THE END BLANK MEETING IN THE ASSOCIATED CORNER AND BEING SEALED THERETO TO FORM A CONTINUOUS PERIPHERAL CLOSURE AROUND THE END OF THE CONTAINER. 